What Matters
What Matters is a San Francisco-based educational publisher and training platform that teaches the OKR (Objectives and Key Results) methodology through courses, templates, a weekly newsletter, and the bestselling book "Measure What Matters" by John Doerr.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What What Matters does
What Matters is an online educational platform focused on teaching the OKR (Objectives and Key Results) goal-setting methodology. Founded by venture capitalist John Doerr (Chairman of Kleiner Perkins) and Ryan Panchadsaram, the platform operates under Bennett Group, LLC and is headquartered in San Francisco. Its core products include the "OKRs Explained" online course, the #1 New York Times bestselling book "Measure What Matters," the "Audacious" weekly newsletter (running continuously since December 2018), a library of downloadable OKR templates, and the "Dear Andy" community Q&A column. The underlying technology stack is a web-based content platform delivering video coursework, articles, and downloadable resources; there is no application, API, or disclosed software integration surface.
The business model is a content-led, freemium structure: free articles, videos, templates, and newsletter access serve as top-of-funnel acquisition, while monetization comes from two streams — one-time hardcover book sales at $35 retail and a subscription-based online course (annual billing). The platform self-serves both consumer/SMB buyers (course, book) and enterprise-minded readers via the website, with no disclosed B2B enterprise sales motion, pricing tiers, or seat-based contracts. Marketing is content-led, relying on organic SEO, the Audacious newsletter, YouTube video content, and John Doerr's personal brand and endorsements from figures such as Bill Gates and Sheryl Sandberg.
The company's stated customers and case studies span technology (Google), consumer/retail (Allbirds), biotech (23andMe), nonprofit/civic tech (Code for America, TED), education (Minerva Schools), and government/healthcare (Healthcare.gov). However, the absence of disclosed paying enterprise relationships, disclosed revenue, funding history, or headcount indicates the operation is a founder-led, lightly capitalized educational publishing and training business rather than a venture-backed software company. The publicly stated North Star Objective for 2025 is to help an additional 10,000 teams achieve operating excellence through OKRs, signaling continued investment in community and content scale rather than product or geographic expansion.
What Matters firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- What Matters
- Legal name
- Bennett Group, LLC
- Website
- https://whatmatters.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- What Matters is a San Francisco-based educational publisher and training platform that teaches the OKR (Objectives and Key Results) methodology through courses, templates, a weekly newsletter, and the bestselling book "Measure What Matters" by John Doerr.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
What Matters industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Training and Coaching
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Performance Management & OKRs (BPACAPAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Assessments, Quizzes & Learning Analytics Tools (MPACALAK)
Keywords
Where What Matters is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
What Matters business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations
Revenue model
- Book Sales: Sales of the hardcover book 'Measure What Matters' - a New York Times bestseller that provides comprehensive OKR methodology education with case studies and practical frameworks.
- Online Course: The 'OKRs Explained' online course offering structured training on OKR implementation. Presented as a premium educational offering alongside free content.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free Content Tier |
| One time/ perpetual license | Others | Measure What Matters Book |
| Subscription | Annual | OKRs Explained Course |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
What Matters product offering
Product offeringCore offering
What Matters is an educational platform that teaches and promotes the OKR (Objectives and Key Results) goal-setting methodology. It sells the 'OKRs Explained' online course, the bestselling book 'Measure What Matters,' and offers a library of free articles, videos, downloadable templates, and a weekly newsletter. The platform is founded by John Doerr, who introduced OKRs to Google, and serves both organizations and individuals seeking to implement structured goal-setting.
Product overview
What Matters operates as an educational content platform focused on the OKR (Objectives and Key Results) goal-setting methodology, co-founded by John Doerr and Ryan Panchadsaram. The core offerings include the OKRs Explained online course, the bestselling book Measure What Matters, the Audacious weekly newsletter, downloadable OKR templates, and the Dear Andy Q&A column. These products work together to provide comprehensive OKR education and implementation guidance for individuals, teams, and organizations seeking to adopt the goal-setting framework.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- OKRs Explained Course An online training course teaching the OKR (Objectives and Key Results) methodology, led by John Doerr and Ryan Panchadsaram. The course covers goal-setting frameworks, OKR writing, implementation, and tracking through video lessons and downloadable resources, and is positioned as a premium educational offering.
- Measure What Matters (Book) The #1 New York Times bestselling hardcover book by John Doerr providing in-depth guidance on OKRs and CFRs (Conversations, Feedback, Recognition), with case studies, expert advice, and practical examples from organizations like Google, 23andMe, and Allbirds. Retails at $35.
- OKR Templates Five downloadable templates covering each stage of the OKR cycle, plus a calendar cheatsheet and guide for navigating tough conversations, made available as free downloadable resources on the What Matters website.
Quantifiable outcome
- Companies with highly-aligned employees are more than twice as likely to be top performers
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use What Matters
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
What Matters technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
What Matters partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
What Matters competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
What Matters social profiles
Digital presenceWhat Matters financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
What Matters leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
What Matters funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
What Matters M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about What Matters
What does What Matters do?
What Matters is an educational platform that teaches and promotes the OKR (Objectives and Key Results) goal-setting methodology. It sells the 'OKRs Explained' online course, the bestselling book 'Measure What Matters,' and offers a library of free articles, videos, downloadable templates, and a weekly newsletter. The platform is founded by John Doerr, who introduced OKRs to Google, and serves both organizations and individuals seeking to implement structured goal-setting.
Is What Matters a public or private company?
What Matters is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was What Matters founded?
What Matters was founded in 2018. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is What Matters based?
What Matters is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does What Matters make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Book Sales are the primary driver. The others are online Course.
Does What Matters have an API?
No public API is recorded for What Matters.
What industry is What Matters in?
What Matters's product category is Professional Training and Coaching. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAPAF, Performance Management & OKRs, with a secondary code of MPACALAK, Assessments, Quizzes & Learning Analytics Tools. Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.